815.00 Revolutions/391: Telegram
The Minister in Honduras (Lay) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:50 p.m.]
110. Despite the assurances of the Government of Guatemala that it would not allow him to return to Honduras General José María Reina arrived yesterday from Champerico at Amapala where the Military Commandant General Andres García went over to the revolution. This creates a serious situation for Amapala has not been taken by force within the past 60 years and it is now well garrisoned [Page 729] and munitioned. There is a large accumulation of merchandise there consigned to foreign merchants in Tegucigalpa, among it considerable from the United States to Pablo Uhler and Company of which the manager and part owner is George Abadie, an American citizen; and also a substantial quantity of dynamite and mining equipment for the New York and Honduras Rosario Mining Company. Mr. Abadie and President Mejía Colindres have requested that an American warship make a call there. I told them that my Government was opposed to sending war vessels to foreign ports except for the protection of American lives and property in imminent danger, that it would not send one to protect merchandise alone, and that there are no Americans at Amapala. The President stated that some years ago a warship was sent to Amapala when the island was threatened during a revolution and therefore urged me to ask the Department if it would not make an exception in this case in the interests of American and other foreign property. Amapala is a port of call for American vessels, notably those of the Grace Line and Dollar Line.
President states that Reina has asked Sandino for arms but Sandino’s secretary here at Mexican Legation told President Sandino refused. I question reliability of this information.
Repeated to Comsperon,13 all Central American Legations, Panama and North Coast Consuls.
- Commander, Special Service Squadron.↩